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Recent Issue of Crux Australis: Issue No. 149
The most recent issue of Crux Australis is No. 149 [Volume 38/1] nominally issued for the period January - March 2024. This issue was published in November 2024.
Renewal of membership for 2024 will be at a reduced rate and renewals will not be sought until after Issue No. 150 has been issued.
The contents are:
| Vexillogistics (editorial) | Tony Burton | page 3 |
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| The Right Star | Tony Burton | page 4 | |
| Minnesota's new flag: | |||
| The Brightest Star makes all the difference | Tony Burton | page 5 | |
| YouTuber's (CGP Grey) critique of Minnesota state flag finalists | Stephen Swanson, CBS News Minnesota | pages 6 - 7 | |
| The finalists for a new Minnesota state flag | Briana Bierschbach, The Minnesota Star Tribune | pages 8 - 9 | |
| Minnesota's new state flag design is finalized | Anthony Bettin CBS News Minnesota | page 10 | |
| The toughest critic: fourth graders | Estelle Timar-Wilcox, MPR News | page 11- 12 | |
| Designer of Minnesota's new state flag isn't bothered by change | Stephen Swanson, David Schuman & Caroline Cummings, CBS News Minnesota | pages 12 - 14 | |
| A straight forward explanation and defense of new state flag/seal | Aaron Wittnebel & Amanda Johnson, The Minnesota Reformer | pages 14 - 16 | |
| Vexibit & a correction | Tony Burton | page 17 | |
| Don't mess with flags: | |||
| Republic of Congo flag prank gone wrong | Tony Burton & Adam Online | pages 18 - 19 | |
| Portugal's short-lived logo - "The critics are ignorant" says the designer | Oliver Balch, The Guardian |
pages 20 - 22 | |
| Nike's redesign of the St George's Cross | Mallory Moench, Time | pages 23 - 25 | |
| What does Artificial Intelligence have to say about flags? | Matthew Renzelmann, Vexillum 22, NAVA |
pages 26 - 30 |
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| AI without the I | Tony Burton | pages 31 - 32 | |
| Saluting the sausages - AI at a barbecue | page 33 |
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| How I became intererested in vexillology | Joseph Staub, Vexillum 22, NAVA | pages 34 - 35 | |
| Vexbox: | |||
| More stars: Flags of the round table? | Tony Burton | page 36 | |
| How many stars on national flags? | Tony Burton | page 37 | |
| Best designed state flags USA | Quiz | pages 38 - 39 | |
| Alaska: star-gazing | Tony Burton | page 40 | |
| A Maine event | pages 41 - 46 | ||
| Maine's debate over flags is the latest chapter in a long story | Dan Carrigan, News Center Maine | pages 41 - 42 | |
| The 1901 Maine flag | 1901maine.home.blog |
pages 43 - 44 | |
| New state flag design contest | maine.gov | pages 44 - 45 | |
| More than 350 entries in flag design contest | Maine Public Radio | pages 45 - 46 | |
| Illinois considers | Patrick Keck, Springfield State Journal-Register & Justin Kaufmann, AXIOS Chicago | pages 47 - 48 |
SUMMARY - Issue No. 149
The latest, yet not the last, edition of Crux Australis opens and closes with an outline of the process in flag evolution: first, to seek and engage the creative enthusiasm of the interested public, but also then to seek the advice of professional vexillologists, for the protocols of flags can be caviar to the million. Minnesota’s new state flag is a case in point, with an evolutionary yet revolutionary deviation from traditional ideas of flag design, while in Maine, at the furthest Atlantic end of the USA, a proposal teeters for a return to the clutter-free State flag of 1901-09.
Between these bookends, other articles illustrate instances of abuse of flags - a court case in Brazzaville; political fiddling with the national emblem of Portugal; and in the sports field, a distortion of the English flag, in the name apparently, of commercial aspiration. The national flag belongs to the nation and its people, not defaced or used as a gimmick in big business or for personal gain.
Crass or cute alteration of national symbols is well on its weird way in the development of so-called Artificial Intelligence. Artificial, yes; autonomously intelligent, not yet. Joseph Staub’s personal account of how he came to vexillology has a quiet dignity and refreshing glow of its own. Real human interface is still the key.
Between these main articles are vignettes on the significance and frequency of stars as a symbol on national and other flags, such as Alaska’s, with Benny Benson's design made more visible and distinctive, as suggested on p.40 in this issue.
Summary by Tony Burton,
Editor
| For previous issues see: | Crux Index vol 31 - current |
| Crux Index vol 26 - 30 | |
| Crux Index vol 21-25 | |
| Crux Index vol 16-20 | |
| Crux Index vol 11-15 | |
| Crux Index vol 6-10 | |
| Crux Index vol 1-5 | |
ICV13 Report |
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